Toy water pistols



Sept. 1, 1964 M. SHUN TOY WATER PISTOLS Filed Nov. 23, 1962 United States Patent (:e

3,146,911 TOY WATER PISTOLS Mak Shun, 171 Laichilcok Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong Filed Nov. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 239,551 Claims priority, application, Great Britain, Dec. 15, 1961, 45,049/ 61 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-79) This invention relates to water pistols of the type having a discharge nozzle mounted at the end of a barrel and connected toa water pump incorporated'in the pistol by means of a flexible pipe, the nozzle being mounted so that it can be turned about an axis which is perpendicular to the barrel and the nozzle pointed in a direction which is dilferent from that in Which the barrel is pointing. Thus if the barrel of the pistol is pointed in one direction the water jet can be shot from the pistol in another direction depending upon the angular position of the nozzle, to take someone by surprise. Such a water pistol will hereafter be referred to as a water pistol of the type described.

The element of surprise can only be maintained if a person standing in front of the barrel of the pistol is unable to see in what direction the nozzle is pointing. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an arrangement in which its nozzle is hidden from view.

In a water pistol of the type described in accordance with the invention the nozzle is positioned inwardly from the outer end of the barrel and one or more holes are provided on one or both sides of the barrel adjacent the nozzle so that the nozzle can be directed towards either the open end of the barrel or one of the holes in the side of the barrel. As the nozzle is hidden within the barrel the direction in which it is pointing is disguised.

The nozzle can for example be turned directly by a knob or the like attached to one end of the axis or spindle but preferably it is turned by a knob or the like at the inner end of the pistol barrel and connected to the nozzle by means of a belt or gear drive.

It will be appreciated that instead of water, the pistol can be used to fire a jet of any other liquid and where in the specification or claims reference is made to a water pistol this expression should be interpretted as covering a pistol to be used for other liquids.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of a water pistol in accordance with .the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the pistol; and

FIGURE 3 is a detailed sectional view of the nozzle and its mounting.

The water pistol shown in the drawings is conveniently made of a thermoplastic material and has a water reservoir generally indicated at 2 formed with the handle or butt 4 of the pistol. Access to the reservoir, so that it may be filled, is through a hole closed by a plug 6. A pump generally indicated at 8 is provided within the butt 4, the piston 10 of the pump being operated by the trigger 12 of the pistol. The pump is arranged to suck water from the reservoir 2 up a pipe 14 and to then force it past a valve element 16 to a flexible pipe 18 leading to the nozzle unit generally indicated at 20, located inwardly of the outer end of the pistol barrel.

Inward movement of the trigger 12 causes the piston 10 to force water from the cylinder of the pump along the flexible pipe 18 to the nozzle. On release of the trigger a further charge of water will be sucked into the cylinder up the pipe 14 from the reservoir as the piston is forced to the position shown in FIGURE 1 by a spring or the like.

The nozzle unit is counterbored to fit over and be able 3,146,911 Patented Sept. 1., 1964 to rotate relatively to, a hollow spigot 22 forming part of a connector piece 24 receiving the outer end of the flexible pipe 18. The nozzle has a jet opening 26 communicating with the pipe 18 through a passage 28 in the nozzle unit and the interior of the connector 24. The upper end of the nozzle unit is formed with a projecting spigot 30 which is mounted for rotation in a recess formed in the interior of the upper side of the barrel, as generally indicated at 32. The nozzle is thus free to move angularly about an axis transverse to the direction of the barrel.

The nozzle is turned about its vertical axis on turning of a knob 34 mounted on a spindle 36 passing into the interior of the barrel, at the inner end thereof. The spindle 36 is provided with three pegs 38 spaced around its periphery, which engage in holes formed in an endless belt 40 which passes around the spindle and around the nozzle unit 20 as can be seen in FIGURE 3. The belt which is formed of a strip of plastic material the two ends being secured together to form a loop is fixed to the nozzle unit and has a hole 42 aligned with the nozzle jet 26, so that water can be forced from the nozzle unit regardless of the angular position of the nozzle.

It will be apparent that since the spindle 36 of the knob 34 is provided with 3 projections the nozzle unit can be turned so as to be directed either straight ahead (i.e. directly out from the barrel) or at an angle of about from the straight-ahead position to either side of the barrel.

The barrel of the pistol is formed with three holes 44 at each side adjacent the nozzle, as can be seen in FIG- URES 1 and 2, of the knob 34 is provided with marks at its top surface which can be aligned with an arrow 46 moulded on to the top of the pistol, so that a user can align one of the marks on the knob with the arrow by turning the knob whereupon the nozzle will be turned to a position in which it is directed towards one of the holes 44 in the sides of the barrel or in the straight ahead direction, through the open end of the barrel.

It will thus be appreciated that the barrel of the pistol can be pointed in one direction but that the jet of water can be arranged to fire either in that direction or by turning the knob 35 so that the nozzle is directed to one of the holes 44 in the side of the barrel, in a direction different from that of the barrel. As the nozzle is set inwardly from the outer end of the barrel its angular position is disguised so that no one except the user can known in what direction the pistol will shoot.

The barrel and the nozzle operating means is closed to the reservoir 2 by means of an internal wall 50 through which the connector 24 passes in fluid tight fashion, so that water in the reservoir is not able to spill out from the barrel.

I claim:

1. A water pistol having a barrel, a discharge nozzle mounted at the end of the barrel, a water pump incorporated in the body of the pistol, a pipe connecting the water pump to the discharge nozzle, said nozzle being rotatably mounted in a position located inwardly from the outer end of the barrel so that it can be turned about an axis which is perpendicular to that of the barrel, means for turning the nozzle about the said axis, the barrel having at least one hole through at least one side adjacent to the nozzle so that the nozzle can be directed towards either the end of the barrel or, on turning of the nozzle, through a hole in one of the sides of the barrel, and said means for turning the nozzle comprising a knob located at the inner end of the barrel and a belt connecting the knob to the nozzle, said belt being driven by the knob spindle and being fixed to the nozzle.

2. A water pistol having a barrel, a discharge nozzle mounted at the end of the barrel, a water pump incorporated in the body of the pistol, a pipe connecting the water pump to the discharge nozzle, the nozzle being rotatably mounted in a position located inwardly from the upper end of the barrel, so that it can be turned about an axis Which is perpendicular to the barrel, a knob for turning the nozzle about the said axis, the barrel having three holes through both sides adjacent to the nozzle so that the nozzle can be directed towards either the end of the barrel or, on turning of the nozzle, through a hole in one of the sides of the barrel, said knob being connected to the nozzle by means of a belt, and said belt being fixed to the nozzle and being driven by the knob.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A WATER PISTOL HAVING A BARREL, A DISCHARGE NOZZLE MOUNTED AT THE END OF THE BARREL, A WATER PUMP INCORPORATED IN THE BODY OF THE PISTOL, A PIPE CONNECTING THE WATER PUMP TO THE DISCHARGE NOZZLE, SAID NOZZLE BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN A POSITION LOCATED INWARDLY FROM THE OUTER END OF THE BARREL SO THAT IT CAN BE TURNED ABOUT AN AXIS WHICH IS PERPENDICULAR TO THAT OF THE BARREL, MEANS FOR TURNING THE NOZZLE ABOUT THE SAID AXIS, THE BARREL HAVING AT LEAST ONE HOLE THROUGH AT LEAST ONE SIDE ADJACENT TO THE NOZZLE SO THAT THE NOZZLE CAN BE DIRECTED TOWARDS EITHER THE END OF THE BARREL OR, ON TURNING OF THE NOZZLE, THROUGH A HOLE IN ONE OF THE SIDES OF THE BARREL, AND SAID MEANS FOR TURNING THE NOZZLE COMPRISING A KNOB LOCATED AT THE INNER END OF THE BARREL AND A BELT CONNECTING THE KNOB TO THE NOZZLE, SAID BELT BEING DRIVEN BY THE KNOB SPINDLE AND BEING FIXED TO THE NOZZLE. 